Rescission Bill Update, Amendment restoring 10% cut moves forward Options

[Erin]

Last Wednesday the House approved an amendment to the FY 2010 rescission bill that would eliminate the 10% cut in the DD waiver by using remaining State General Fund (SGF) grant dollars to replace SGF funds cut from the waiver. The amendment was offered on the House floor by Representative Pat Colloton. Representative Jerry Henry spoke in support of the amendment as well.

Representatives Colloton and Henry pointed out that the amendment represented the better of two bad choices which face community DD service providers. Both referred to the numbers of Kansans with developmental disabilities who will most likely lose services as a result of the movement of SGF grant dollars.

The rescission bill – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2222 – is the official embodiment of Governor Parkinson’s November allotment cuts to the FY 2010 budget. The bill received a final vote & passed last Thursday, moving it to a conference committee for members of the House and Senate to negotiate over changes in the bill.

Monday morning (2/15) Senators Jay Emler, Carolyn McGinn and Laura Kelly met with Representatives Kevin Yoder, Ray Merrick and Bill Feuerborn to review differences between their two versions of the Governor’s rescission legislation (which effectuated his December cuts).

All parties agreed to the House language which shifts the $2.3 million SGF cut from the DD Medicaid waiver program to SGF grants and State Aid. The change will result in the restoration, retroactive to January 1, of the 10% cut to DD waiver reimbursements.

The report from the conference committee will now go back through both houses for expected final approval (which is likely to happen this week) and then move on to the Governor’s desk for his signature. There has been no indication that the Governor might veto this language.

Tune in to Twitter this week for more updates on the rescission bill.